So far, in chapters 1-25, this novel is interesting. It's starting to pick up pace, and I found Matt's
development the most interesting. It reminds me of a song by Pearl Jam, "Amongst the waves", because
of one line in particular. "Suddenly the channel changed, the first time you saw blood." While Matt
hasn't seen a physical war, he's realizing what the Opium Empire is doing to humanity. Certain characters
in the novel have proved to be inhumane, and I would go as far as to say, unknowingly evil. I don't mean
that they don't understand what they're doing is wrong, but that it's programmed into their brains as
nothing more than a routine. It's programmed into their minds. These "eejits" were people at one time.
Matt hasn't even seen evil, he's been completely oblivious to the Opium Empire that, as a kid, was right
outside his window. Being raised as a good kid, he has a hard time defying El Patron in order to ensure
the right thing is being done. The second he sees the inhumane treatment of these 'eejits', he knows it's
wrong. However, it shows the power of dictatorship, and how hard it is to defy a powerful leader. I
would even relate this to World War II. Hitler was a powerful leader, and though many knew what he
was doing was wrong, they couldn't defy him. He was only one person, but because of the mind games,
the tricks he played, not one of them could stop him. I think Matt has realized that the price of protection
from El Patron might just come at a deadly cost.
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